Changes made to the Renters Reform Bill

Changes have been made to the Renters Reform Bill in 'a vital next step in delivering a fairer system for both tenants and landlords'.

The Government has today introduced a number of amendments to the Renters Reform Bill in an effort to get tougher with rogue landlords, protect vulnerable residents and improve the safety of homes for tenants, clarifying many of the ideas floated more generally in the Bill.

The amendments include making it illegal for a landlord or their agents to place a  blanket ban on renting out property to people who are in receipt of benefits or who have children.  This is to ensure that families aren’t discriminated against when looking for a home to rent and to protect the most vulnerable tenants.

Despite this amendments, landlords will still be able to carry out referencing checks to make sure a tenancy is affordable and have the final say on who they let their property to. This amendment will apply to England and Wales immediately and will be extended to Scotland with a further amendment to the Renters Reform Bill later on.

A Decent Homes Standard will be introduced for the private rented sector for the first time to set specific standards for what tenants should expect from their home to ensure that it is safe, warm and decent. Although the precise standards are yet to be agreed, there will be further consultations to solidify these to help meet the target of reducing non-decency in rented homes by 50 per cent by 2030.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove said "Everyone deserves a home that is safe, warm and decent. But far too many live in conditions that fall well below what is acceptable. As part of our Long-Term Plan for Housing we are improving housing standards across the entire private rented sector, while also ending discrimination against vulnerable people and families who are being unfairly denied access to a home."

Alonside these changes, local authorities will be given new powers of enforcement to require landlords to make properties decent, with the prospect of fines up to £30,000 or even a banning order in the worse cases. Councils will have stronger powers to investigate landlords who rent substandard homes, and will be provided with new measures to help them identify and take enforcement action against the criminal minority with the aim of driving them out of the sector.

Tenants will also be able to claim up to 24 months rent back through rent repayment orders - an increase from 12 months previously.

The amendments to the Renters Reform Bill will be considered at Committee stage for the Bill in the House of Commons and are considered by the government to be "a vital next step in delivering a fairer system for both tenants and landlords. The changes will support the majority of good landlords by making existing rules clearer and more enforceable."

We’ll keep you updated with all the progress and any changes to the bill as it goes through the parliamentary process. If you have any questions or are concerned about how the bill will affect you and your investment portfolio, please don’t hesitate to contact our specialist lettings team on 0161 511 5339 or via our contact form.